Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze silences naysayers

Once-questioned hire pays off for Rebels in Year One

2:39 PM,
Dec. 5, 2012

Hugh Freeze came to Ole Miss with just one year of FBS head coaching experience and plenty of questions. He's responded by leading the Rebels to a 6-6 record, including a win over rival Mississippi State, and a bowl berth.

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Archie Manning, the patron saint of Ole Miss and as well-connected a man as there is in football, and Mike Glenn, an executive vice president at FedEx, were tasked to lead a committee to select the next football coach at Ole Miss. A school where reputation matters a great deal and no small amount of pride is taken in being the "flagship" school in the state of Mississippi. There were rumors of Tony Dungy's interest, and the pet candidates of the Internet message boards were established names like Mike Leach and Rich Rodriguez.